I'm sorry that I haven't updated this blog in ages. With three dogs, a teenager, training (for both dogs AND teen), there just isn't a lot of time. Still no excuse for waiting so long I know!!! Before I continue I wanted to get out there that Maiya is doing wonderful, but also pick up where I left of at the insertion of the feeding tube.
Maiya came home with a PEG tube. It was long and scary! She lived with it for about four months before we started contemplating the idea of a more permanent tube, like a low-profile button tube. So we had a Mic-key tube put in and it uneventufully lasted for about six months before she discovered she could pull it out.
The button tube was extremely easy to put back in provided that she didn't chew it beyond recognition, and her stoma wasn't open for very long without it. After about four hours of the tube being out, it became just about impossible to get it back in without veterinary assistance.
We tried all sorts of food for her. She had a huge problem with air build up in her stomach, which caused lots of regurgitation. It was very hard to vent her stomach out with the button tube where it was so easy with the PEG. It was a long two years with that tube, between the stress of finding the right food consistency, her pulling it out, and the fact we couldn't decompress her very well. Overall though, she maintained her weight and life was better for her.
Back in November of '09 she pulled her tube out. It was overnight when she did it and the stoma was open for about 8 hours. The specialist ended up having to put it back in surgically. This was like the 30th tube she had removed and at $200 per tube it was getting very costly. We always had her wear a shirt and then when we couldn't keep watch, like at night time, we would put the bite-not collar on her. Well, as determined as she was, she started getting past the collar, past the shirts, past EVERYTHING we put her in to keep her from getting at it.
So this incident cost about $1300. Less than a week later she pulled it out again. We caught it early enough to get it back in ourselves. Two weeks after that she pulled it out yet once again. This time we could not get it back in ourselves.
It was going to be another specialist visit and another $1300.
Guy and I painfully decided enough was enough with the tube. The stoma seemed to bother her as it was red and oozy. She was constantly trying to lick at it. With tears we decided to just let the stoma close and we would manage her by mouth feedings for as long as we could. We would not let her suffer and at the first sight that her quality of life was diminishing we would consider letting her go.
We started back up with feeding her off the counter and holding her vertical for 30 minutes afterwards. We were feeding her the home cooked diet we prepared blended into a milkshake consistency. We had no idea how long this would maintain her, as it's not like we haven't tried this before, but it's the only choice we had.
She didn't regurgitate for the first few days. Days turned into a week. A week turned into two. Two weeks turned into an entire month! By the beginning of '10 she had gained almost TEN pounds!!! We couldn't believe what we were seeing!!! She, for the first time since we met, looked like a normal healthy dog!
It's now into the seventh month that we let the tube come out. Maiya is at a stable 70 lbs. She was 43 lbs. when we found her. We cannot explain why she is thriving now when feeding this way didn't work in the past. We only tried dog food in the past and didn't switch to home cooked until the button tube, so could it be that it's the home cooked diet? We don't know why she is doing well, but we don't want it any other way!!
She's chilling on the floor as I type this. I wanted to go further into her life with us but I'm afraid it may be two years before I finish so I wanted to get this happy ending out there. She still has bad days and regurges once a day or so but she's maintaining weight so well that she started getting fat and we cut her food back. She's playing like there is no tomorrow too! She plays with the other dogs now and she even plays with toys! Maiya had never played with ANYTHING in the past. Now she's all over the place acting like a nut and usually the one causing trouble if there is trouble to be caused.
The pics are recent ones of our Maiya. I will try to keep updates more often than once every year. Haha!
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